The Couch

Continued from here

Taylor buried her face in her hands, leaning over with her elbows on her knees while she sat in her ring gear on the cold locker room bench. Her jaw ached. Her head throbbed. And that was hardly the worst of it.

"Man..." She groaned, rubbing her face and sliding her hands down to just cover her mouth. "Somewhere out there, in her million-dollar penthouse, Silver Ace is probably still peeing herself over me getting knocked the fuck out with that stupid kick. She's totally ruining her million dollar Italian leather couch. That's the worst of it, Kashi, I just feel bad for the couch."

She pulled a baggy black hoodie over her head and down over her red, skin tight suit. She reached behind her head to gather her hair, she'd taken out her pigtails already, and drew it to one side over her shoulder, so that it wouldn't be caught in the hood.

"Whatever. If Angel wants to cheap shot me when I'm walking away, it means she knows I'm a threat. She's scared. I'm not gonna talk bad about her to you or anything, but it's not over. It's never over until I've got that belt." She stood up, and shouldered her gym bag. She paused on her way to the door.

"Ya know this is the third time Angel has knocked me out? Like... whaat the fuuck..." She shook her head and waved, and then left. "See you tomorrow, Lunchbox. Make good choices."

Akashi had watched whatever Lukretia had planned get broken up by Taylor. It seemed to go pretty well until she got kicked in the face. Taylor liked to run her mouth and there was no doubt she could back up her words but every once in a while she had to eat some crow with the side of sass she dished out. Akashi made sure to meet up with her after the dust cleared and made sure that she was ok. She was glad she was but even with Taylor leaving, that didn't mean things were finished.

"Ja ne, Imouto-chan."Akashi said with a smile. Now she had to go and take care of one other piece of business. She made the trip over to Angel's dressing room and gave it a gentle knock before letting herself in. "Tenshi-chan, are you in?" She called out.

Angel was lying on the couch in her personal locker room, her eyes closed, the champion trying to get some rest after the clusterfuck that was the beat-the-clock challenge. It had turned out to be a hell of a night, but at the end of everything, she had been the one who was left standing tall.

She opened one eye as she heard Akashi knocking on the door, turning her head to watch her enter. With a playful little grin, she started to scoot up a little on the couch, and gave Akashi a lil' wave. "Of course I am, sumo. Where else would I be?"

Akashi smiled and steeped in fully. "I won't be too long Tenshi-chan." She said, believing that the reason would become quite obvious once Akashi said her peace. She took a sheepish step forward and looked at her lover. "I ... just need to know one thing." She said. "Are you fighting... her?" She asked. "Again, are you fighting Taylor-san again?"

Angel raised an eyebrow as Akashi stepped in, her smile dropping slowly off of her face. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"That depends," she answered, giving Akashi a shrug and looking away from her. "It all depends on her, sumo. Is she going to keep acting like a rotten little bitch when it comes to me? Because if she is, then I'm more then happy to get back into the ring and kick her ass around again."

Akashi furrowed her brow at Angel when she spoke about Taylor. "I don't care about that. I just want to know if you're fighting her again." She said. Akashi sighed. "Actually, it doesn't matter. Really, I need to know if we can survive another match between you and Taylor-chan."

Akashi turned her head. "Because, if you fight again, I have to have Taylor-chan's back." Akashi lowered her head and blushed deeply. "And I don't want that to break us apart.

Angel shrugged again, and closed her eyes, adjusting herself so that she could lie on the couch again. She figured she would have to deal with this eventually. Didn't make it any easier.

"I would never ask you to take my side over her's, sumo," she began, crossing her hands and lying them over her face. "She's your sister, and I'm not the kind of person you would try to wreck that. Believe it or not, family is important to me."

What she didn't say, but was thinking, was But would it hurt things for you to take a neutral position here?

"Go ahead and have her back. Half the company already does, so one more won't hurt, you know?"

Akashi sighed. It was good to hear that from Angel. However, as she stepped forward, ready to thank her lover, the next words made her pause. "Tenshi-chan." She said in a soft tone, turning her head. "This isn't easy for me. I don't want you two to fight each other but it's how it goes."

Akashi took a few steps forward. "I want us to be able to work things out between ALL of us, together..." She said. "If you fight her again, no matter what, we're going to sit down and hash everything out until something is settled. And, I'll tell her that as well, ok?"

Angel lowered her hands as Akashi stepped forward, opening her eyes only to narrow them at her lover.

"Akashi, that..." she closed her mouth, biting her tongue for an instant to stop herself from saying what she really thought of the idea. "That's not going to happen. She started this. She's the one that went out and starting running her mouth, saying all of this shit about me. She's the one that can't let it go, and keeps badmouthing me to everyone who'll lend an ear."

She shook her head, pulling herself up into a sitting position again. "Do you really think I can forgive someone like that? Really? Some who keeps trying to make me out as a complete monster that doesn't give a shit about anyone or anything?" She frowned, and got up off of the couch, heading towards the mini-fridge in the room. She needed some water.

"Do you even think she is going to want to talk things over? Given how she's been acting, I seriously doubt it."

"Yes, Taylor-chan runs her mouth." Akashi said. "And she's doing a good job of provoking you but it's what she does. I don't think any of those things about you." Akashi shook her head. "And yes, I do!" She said.

Akashi shook her head and ran her fingers through her ringletted hair. "She had better or else I'll kick her ass myself. I'm not asking you to like her or like the situation. You can even dislike ME for my position, it's fine. I would be hurt in your position too. I understand your feelings. Do you understand mine and the position I'm in? I want our relationship to continue no matter what. I just want to know if there will be a chance after the dust has settled. While things are cloudy, I understand any position you take." Akashi said, lowering her head.